Trunk attachment.



No. 764,656. PATBNTED JULY 12, 1904.- 0. A. BRBMER & P. H GROTHE TRUNK ATTACHMENT,

APPLICATION FILED 813F126, ,903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented July 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO A. BREMER AND FREDERICK GROTHE, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

TRUNK ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,656, dated July 12, 1904.

Application filed September 26, 1903. Serial No. 174,789. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that we, OTTO A. BREMER and FREDERICK H. GRo'rHE, citizens of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Trunk Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is an attachment for trunks, and relates especially to trunk-followers, and has for its object an attachment of this kind which can be readily put in position and as readily removed.

Our invention consists of four rackbars arranged in the corners of the trunk and adapted to serve as supports for the trunk-tray, of a follower cut away at the corners and fitting in the trunk, rigid catches secured at one end of the follower, and spring-actuated catches secured at the opposite end, the catches being adapted to engage the rack-bars.

Our invention also consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, particularly pointed out in the claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trunk having an attachment placed therein. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the trunk, the cover and tray being removed, showing an attachment in place. Fig. 3 is a section through the upper portion of a trunk, the tray being shown in position and an attachment being shown arranged below the tray and in elevation. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of one of the springactuated catches. Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the construction of the catch and showing same in engagement with a rack-bar. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the catch out of engagement with the rack-bar. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the stationary catches.

In the drawings, A represents a trunk of the usual construction, and A the tray of the trunk. Arranged in each corner of the trunk is a vertical rack-bar B, having formed on its inner face a plurality of rack-teeth B, a smooth marginal portion being left on each side of the teeth and in the plane of the edge of the teeth. The follower O is a rectangular board adapted to fit within the trunk and cut out at each corner, as shown at O, thereby adapting it to slide over the rack-bars B, and the follower is strengthened by suitable transverse ribs O one of which stops short at each end of the side edges of the follower. Atone end of the follower, adjacent the cut-out portion C, is arranged a plate D, having formed thereon an integral rigid catch D, adapted to engage the downwardly-inclined rack-teeth of the bars B. Arranged at the opposite end of the follower is a plate E, which rests over a recess C formed in the follower, and which carries integral guide-loops E, in which slide a catch E. It is understood that a plate E is arranged adjacent each of the cut-out portions at the end of the follower opposite the catches D. the guide-loops, as at E, and these cut-out portions register with the recesses (1 In the rear of the guide-loops the plate has a longitudinal depression E* formed therein, and at the rear of such depression an upwardlycurved portion is struck up from the plate. The catch E has a forwardly-projecting beveled portion adapted to engage the rack-teeth B and a reduced rear portion, around whlch is coiled a spring E, the rear end of the spring I being secured to the struck-up portion E and the forward end bearing on the non-reduced portion of the catch E and adapted to hold it in engagement with the rack-bar B.

A bail F has its side members pivoted to the catch E between the guide-loops, as shown at F, and the lower portion of the bail below the pivotal point is bent at a substantially right angle to the side members. The lower bent portion F of the bail extends through the cut portion of the plate and rests in the recess O Normally the bail lies in the position shown in Fig. 5; but when caught by the finger and the loop portion raised to a substantially vertical position the bent portion F" will bear against the forward edge of the recess C, and the catch will be forced rearward against the tension of the spring E and out of engagement with the rack-bar B. The rack-bars stop short of the upper edge of the trunk and serve as supports for the tray.

In placing the follower in position it is laid Each plate is centrally cut out between over the clothes or material packed in the bottom of the trunk and the end bearing the catches D forced downward as far as it will go, the catches engaging the rack-teeth B at that end of the trunk. The opposite end carrying the catches E is then forced downward until the follower is in a substantially horizontal plane, and the tray is then placed in position. To remove the follower, it is only necessary to insert a finger in each of the bails F and lift them to a vertical position, which act will withdraw the catches from engagement with the rack-bars at that end of the trunk and then pull upward, lifting that end of the follower out of the trunk by the bail, which will disengage the catches K at the opposite end of the follower, and the same can then be removed entirely from the trunk. This operation of removing the follower is partially indicated in Fig. 3 by means of the dotted lines and arrow.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the kind described comprising rack-bars arranged in a trunk and adapted to support a trunk-tray, of a follower adapted to slide vertically between said rack-bars, stationary catches carried by the follower and adapted to engage a portion of the bars, springactuated catches slidably mounted on the follower adapted to engage the remaining rackbars, and a bail pivoted to each catch and adapted to slide the catch longitudinally when lifted to a vertical position.

ing a trunk, rack-bars arranged in the corners of said trunk, a follower cut out at the corners, stationary, catches carried adjacent the corners at one end of the follower, said follower being recessed adjacent the corners at the; opposite end, plates arranged on the follower adjacent said corners and each having a cut-out portion alining with the recesses of the follower, a slidable spring-actuated catch on each plate adapted to engage a rackbar, and a bail pivoted to each catch and having a lower bent portion extending into and engaging the forward end of the recess under the said plate.

OTTO A. BREMER. FREDERICK H. GROTHE.

Witnesses:

FRED VOLHNER, C. H. MOHLAND.

35 2. A device of the kind described compris- 

